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Tuesday the 12th of January 2010

Welcome to the Helpforce Daily Briefing, on Tuesday the 12th of January 2010

1. Virus Warnings
2. Daily Technology News
3. Latest Shareware and Freeware
4. FAQ for the day
5. Advice of the day
6. Internet Advice

This is a free service provided by Helpforce.com, to unsubscribe please visit http://www.helpforce.com
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1. Latest Virus Alerts From Sophos
---------------------------------------
Troj/Agent-MDL on 12 January 2010 11:38:40 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojagentmdl.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/Agent-MDM on 12 January 2010 11:38:40 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojagentmdm.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/JSRedir-AN on 12 January 2010 11:38:40 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojjsrediran.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/Loader-H on 12 January 2010 11:38:40 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojloaderh.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/PDFJs-FU on 12 January 2010 11:38:40 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojpdfjsfu.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/PDFJs-GP on 12 January 2010 11:38:40 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojpdfjsgp.html?_log_from=rss
W32/AutoIt-IA on 12 January 2010 11:38:40 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/w32autoitia.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/DwnLdr-HZV on 12 January 2010 06:20:36 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojdwnldrhzv.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/FakeAV-APG on 12 January 2010 06:20:36 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojfakeavapg.html?_log_from=rss
Troj/FakeAV-APH on 12 January 2010 06:20:36 Z
http://www.sophos.com/security/analyses/viruses-and-spyware/trojfakeavaph.html?_log_from=rss

2. Latest Technology News From Slashdot
-----------------------------------------------

-- Second 3G GSM Cipher Cracked
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/qU5gdZWC5qM/Second-3G-GSM-Cipher-Cracked)
Trailrunner7 writes "A group of cryptographers has developed a new attack that has broken Kasumi, the encryption algorithm used to secure traffic on 3G GSM wireless networks. The technique enables them to recover a full key by using a tactic known as a related-hey attack, but experts say it is not the end of the world for Kasumi. Kasumi, also known as A5/3, is the standard cipher used to encrypt communications on 3G GSM networks, and it's a modified version of an older algorithm called Misty. In the abstract of their paper, the cryptographers say the attack can be implemented easily on one standard PC. 'In this paper we describe a new type of attack called a sandwich attack, and use it to construct a simple distinguisher for 7 of the 8 rounds of KASUMI with an amazingly high probability of 214. By using this distinguisher and analyzing the single remaining round, we can derive the complete 128 bit key of the full KASUMI by using only 4 related keys, 226 data, 230 bytes of memory, and 232 time. These complexities are so small that we have actually simulated the attack in less than two hours on a single PC, and experimentally verified its correctness and complexity.'"Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- An Android Developer's Top 10 Gripes
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/LGtZumzVAF0/An-Android-Developers-Top-10-Gripes)
gkunene writes in with the plaint of a veteran mobile application developer who vents his frustration with a list of 10 things he loves to hate about Android. "1. Open Source. Leave it to Google to place all the code for their handset platform in the hands of the masses. Not only does this mean anyone can download and roll a new version of their phone firmware, but it also means absolutely any maker can roll its own Android device. ... After all's said and done, I really must admit that Android, despite its relatively few flaws, is one of my favorite platforms to work with. Quite honestly, if my complaint about how the word 'Intent' makes for awkward grammatical constructions ranks in the top 10, I'd say the Android platform is doing pretty well for itself."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Average Budget For Major, Multi-platform Games Is $18-28 Million
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/UwbvgedmKXw/Average-Budget-For-Major-Multi-platform-Games-Is-18-28-Million)
An anonymous reader passes along this excerpt from Develop: "The average development budget for a multiplatform next-gen game is $18-$28 million, according to new data. A study by entertainment analyst group M2 Research also puts development costs for single-platform projects at an average of $10 million. The figures themselves may not be too surprising, with high-profile games often breaking the $40 million barrier. Polyphony's Gran Turismo 5 budget is said to be hovering around the $60 million mark, while Modern Warfare 2's budget was said to be as high as $50 million."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Chevrolet Volt In a Gasoline-Only Scenario
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/FsOG0vLCXhE/Chevrolet-Volt-In-a-Gasoline-Only-Scenario)
s122604 sends in a performance review of the Chevy Volt, paying particular attention to what happens after the initial plug-in capacity has been depleted. This reader adds, "The review indicates that the performance is adequate, and perhaps better than anticipated. If the Volt can deliver technically, especially with the possibility that it could retail for less than expected (WSJ subscription may be required), does GM have a potential hit on its hands?" "How well will General Motors' Chevrolet Volt drive once it gets past its 40 mile all-electric driving range and starts to rely on power generated by its gasoline engine? That's been a question for both critics and fans of the Volt, and with just 11 months to go before this car hits the market, I got the answer."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- How To Judge Legal Risk When Making a Game Clone?
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/WzfGXS-ZKJ0/How-To-Judge-Legal-Risk-When-Making-a-Game-Clone)
An anonymous reader writes "I'm an indie game developer making a clone of a rather obscure old game. Gameplay in my clone is very similar to the old game, and my clone even has a very similar name because I want to attract fans of the original. The original game has no trademark or software patent associated with it, and my clone isn't infringing on the original's copyright in any way (all the programming and artwork is original), but nevertheless I'm still worried about the possibility of running afoul of a look and feel lawsuit or something similar. How do I make sure I'm legally in the clear without hiring an expensive lawyer that my indie developer budget can't afford?"Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Microsoft Pulls Office From Its Own Online Store
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/gtcoCM9kCqw/Microsoft-Pulls-Office-From-Its-Own-Online-Store)
CWmike writes "Microsoft has pulled almost every version of Office from its own online store to comply with a court order requiring it to remove custom XML technology from its popular Word software that starts on Monday. As of mid-day, the only edition available from the Microsoft Store was Office Ultimate 2007, a $670 'full-version' suite. All other Windows editions, as well as Office 2008 for Mac, were accompanied by the message: 'This product is currently unavailable while we update versions on our site. We expect it to be available soon.' Microsoft confirmed that the disappearance of Office was related to the injunction that came out of a patent infringement case the company lost in 2009. 'We've taken steps to comply with the court's ruling and we're introducing the revised software into the US market," said Michael Croan, a senior marketing manager, in an e-mail. He also downplayed the move. 'This process will be imperceptible to the vast majority of customers, who will find both trial and purchase options readily available.'"Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- City of Heroes Sr. Designer Talks Architect System
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/_hFSlQIhv5c/emCity-of-Heroesem-Sr-Designer-Talks-Architect-System)
Kheldon writes "The MMO Gamer sits down with Joe Morrissey, a Senior Designer at Paragon Studios, to discuss the inspiration behind, and current implementation of the Architect user-generated content system in City of Heroes. Quoting: 'Really for me, wanting tools so the rest of the team could actually come up with content was the idea. Because we have a lot of guys on the team that are hardcore players, they play the game all the time. Then they come to me like, "I’ve got this idea for this story, we should really do this arc with this guy!" And I’m like, "That’s great. I haven’t got time to do it. I’ve got plenty of other story arcs to work on." But, if we made the tools easy enough, then they could actually come up with the arcs, and we can put them out. Then somewhere along that road it dawned on me: Why stop with the rest of the team?'"Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Neural Nets Make Art While High
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/yB_pjkWEPxs/Neural-Nets-Make-Art-While-High)
brilanon writes "Telepathic-critterdrug is a controversial fork of the open source artificial-life sim Critterding, a physics sandbox where blocky creatures evolve neural nets in a survival contest. What we've done is to give these animals an extra retina which is shared with the whole population. It's extended through time like a movie and they can write to it for communication or pleasure. Since this introduces the possibility of the creation of art, we decided to give them a selection of narcotics, stimulants and psychedelics. This is not in Critterding. The end result is a high-color cellular automaton running on a substrate that thinks and evolves, and may actually produce hallucinations in the user."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Rudolph the Cadmium-Nosed Reindeer
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/jr5ShrXvAuM/Rudolph-the-Cadmium-Nosed-Reindeer)
theodp writes "Barred from using lead in children's jewelry because of its toxicity, some Chinese manufacturers have been substituting the more dangerous heavy metal cadmium in sparkling charm bracelets and shiny pendants being sold throughout the US, an AP investigation shows. Charms from 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' bracelets were measured at between 82 and 91 percent cadmium, and leached so much cadmium that they would have to be specially handled and disposed of under US environmental law if they were waste from manufacturing. Cadmium, a known carcinogen, can hinder brain development in the very young. 'There's nothing positive that you can say about this metal. It's a poison,' said the CDC's Bruce Fowler. On the CDC's priority list of 275 most hazardous substances in the environment, cadmium ranks No. 7. Jewelry industry veterans in China say cadmium has been used in domestic products there for years. Hey, at least it doesn't metabolize into GHB when the little tykes ingest it."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Another Crumbling Reactor Springs a Tritium Leak
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/7dHNQabkR4E/Another-Crumbling-Reactor-Springs-a-Tritium-Leak)
mdsolar writes "The decrepit nuclear reactor Vermont Yankee has sprung a radioactive leak similar to those at other poorly run reactors in Illinois (Braidwood, Byron and Dresden), Arizona (Palo Verde), and New York (Indian Point). Greenpeace noted 3 years ago that radioactive tritium leaks even threaten Champagne from France. Tritium and its decay product helium 3 are incredibly valuable and there is currently a shortage of helium 3. What, besides shutting down leaky old nuclear plants, could be done to better control release of tritium into the environment?"Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Airport Scanners Can Store and Transmit Images
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/DuADSx6q5wc/Airport-Scanners-Can-Store-and-Transmit-Images)
CNN is reporting on findings from a Freedom of Information request initiated by the Electronic Privacy Information Center that has revealed that, contrary to public statements by the Transportation Security Agency, full-body scanners can store and transmit images. "In the [FOIA] documents, obtained by the privacy group and provided to CNN, the TSA specifies that the body scanners it purchases must have the ability to store and send images when in 'test mode.' ... 'There is no way for someone in the airport environment to put the machine into the test mode,' [an anonymous] official said, adding that test mode can be enabled only in TSA test facilities. But the official declined to say whether activating test mode requires additional hardware, software or simply additional knowledge of how the machines operate."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Jan. 11, 1902 — Popular Mechanics Is Born
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/S_kKfLZRYCg/Jan-11-1902-mdash-Popular-Mechanics-Is-Born)
Today, back in 1902 Henry Haven Windsor published the first issue of Popular Mechanics, helping to empower geeks of future generations with straightforward explanations of scientific and mechanical advances. "The magazine has reported both the brilliant and ridiculous ideas of its times, depending on the writer, scientist or editor. It once published an article about a Philadelphia physician who supposedly used X-rays to turn blacks into whites: probably not a great editorial decision. Betting on blimps over planes for so long might not have been advisable, and hyping excessive consumption during the birth of the environmental movement in the 1960s also rates a demerit. But beyond those probable transgressions, Popular Mechanics paved the way for the people’s incursion into science’s once-exclusive domain. Its longevity argues that science and its sometimes inscrutable possibility have raw mass appeal — even if the subject is cars with steering wheels in the back seat or self-diagnosing appliances."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Sponge-Like "Swelling Glass" Absorbs Toxins in Water
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/VevN8fxiCIM/-Sponge-Like-Swelling-Glass-Absorbs-Toxins-in-Water)
MikeChino writes "A company called Absorbent Materials has created a new kind of 'swelling glass' that can clean up contaminated groundwater by soaking up volatile molecules like a sponge. Dubbed 'Obsorb,' the material can hold up to 8 times its weight in fuel, oil, and solvents without sucking up any of the water itself. Once the material is full it floats to the surface and the pollutants can be skimmed off."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- Facebook's Zuckerberg Says Forget Privacy
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/cR9LhOn7vwc/Facebooks-Zuckerberg-Says-Forget-Privacy)
judgecorp writes "Privacy is no longer a social norm, according to the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg. Speaking at the Crunchie awards in San Francisco, the entrepreneur said that expectations had changed, and people now default to sharing online, not privacy. It's all right for him, but does he mean it's ok for bodies like the UK government to monitor all citizens' Internet use?"Read more of this story at Slashdot.

-- New "Wet Computer" To Mimic Neurons In the Brain
(http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/6gKV-02gKU8/New-Wet-Computer-To-Mimic-Neurons-In-the-Brain)
A new type of "wet computer" that mimics the actions of neurons in the brain is slated to be built thanks to a €1.8M EU emerging technologies program. The goal of the project is to explore new computing environments rather than to build a computer that surpasses current performance of conventional computers. "The group's approach hinges on two critical ideas. First, individual 'cells' are surrounded by a wall made up of so-called lipids that spontaneously encapsulate the liquid innards of the cell. Recent work has shown that when two such lipid layers encounter each other as the cells come into contact, a protein can form a passage between them, allowing chemical signaling molecules to pass. Second, the cells' interiors will play host to what is known as a Belousov-Zhabotinsky or B-Z chemical reaction. Simply put, reactions of this type can be initiated by changing the concentration of the element bromine by a certain threshold amount."Read more of this story at Slashdot.

3. Latest Shareware from Planet-Shareware
-----------------------------------------------

4. FAQ of the day from Helpforce
-----------------------------------------------

-- Windows xp has stopped working after 30 days
(http://www.helpforce.com)

Question: Windows xp has stopped working after 30 days

Answer: Repair windows.Reboot your machine from your XP cd.After install, it will tell you to call a 1-800 number.Do it. Get your new number, enter it and all should be well.You had 30 days to activate windows, you did not and XP shut down on you, never to boot again.

5. Advice of the Day from ask-leo
-----------------------------------------------

6. Internet Advice
-----------------------------------------------

-- The Top 5 Medical Search Engines(http://netforbeginners.about.com/b/a/258114.htm)

While the Web and the Internet should never be used as a replacement for sound doctor advice, it is very possible to research medicine for yourself. Maybe you have arthritis,...

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